Col Aros Loudon “Don” Maclean, CD, BASC, PENG, LMEIC
Colonel Maclean was born in Toronto in 1918 and joined the Army from the ROTP program on graduation from the University of Toronto in 1941 and served continuously through WW II until 1973, initially with the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps and subsequently the Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers upon its founding in 1944. On retirement from the Army, Col Maclean worked for Victoria and Grey Trust Company in the Kingston Office, until 1983. He was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Land Ordnance Engineering Branch in 1974 and held the appointment until 1979.
He is a graduate in mechanical engineering from the University of Toronto, the Advanced Ordnance Officers Course at Aberdeen Proving Ground, and the Army Staff College in Kingston. He was a Registered Professional Engineer and a Life Member of the Engineering Institute of Canada.
His postings reflect an active and distinguished career. He was in Europe from March 1942 to April 1946. This included the UK and Continental Europe where he was Mentioned In Dispatches (MID). He was instrumental in starting the Mechanical Engineering Department at Royal Military College as the first officer posted into the department and department head for two years. He served there from 1948 to 1952. He served on the International Supervisory Commission in Cambodia for over a year in 1954 and 1955. During the ensuing period to 1965 he served in several positions on the staff of the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering in Army Headquarters in Ottawa. Additionally during this period, he served four years on the Directing Staff of the Army Staff College in Kingston. On promotion to Colonel in 1965, he was posted to Kingston to command the RCEME School and hold the position of Head of Corps of RCEME. He held that position until 1968 when he became Base Commander, Canadian Forces Base Kingston, which he held until retirement in late 1972.
Colonel Maclean served on the Board of Governors of the Kingston Division, Corps of Commissionaires from 1971, including a term as Chairman commencing in 1981. He was President of the United Way of Kingston and District, and of the Kiwanis Club of Kingston. He was a member of the Board of Governors of the Kingston General Hospital. Additionally, he was an honorary Vice President of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Association. A particular honor granted to Col Maclean by the Mayor of Kinston, was the responsibility to coordinate the Queen’s visit to that city on July 27, 1973.
He was survived by a son Hugh, in Kingston, a grandson and granddaughter and two great grandsons and two great granddaughters.